Her face hurt. Her head ached constantly. The wound was not yet beginning to cleave reliably to itself again. The gash was massive, running from between her left temple and ear, all the way down her face to her chin, in a diagonal.
It was from flying glass, one large shard among millions, which instantly ripped across her cheek as the earth shook, Armageddon-like. The house shook with it, and although the structure stayed mostly erect, it became instantly uninhabitable.
They were in a warm shelter provided by the generous contributions of people from around the world, and most especially Boston, their sister city. But the baby was constantly fussy.
She was probably hungry, and not just for food. She reflected back the anxious melancholy her grieving mother couldn't shake.
The boy, just 18 months old, missed his daddy. To try to comfort him, (or maybe herself) she sang the English version of an old Acadian folk song.
"Oh come, dear mother, and sit beside me
"Oh sit beside me and pity my case
"For my head it is aching, my heart it is breaking."
About 101 years ago, my grandmother was recovering from the Halifax explosion, what would be called the largest non-nuclear detonation in history of mankind.
I took my family to her old neighbourhood last year to commemorate the auspicious 100-year anniversary of the thing that changed everything for my father's family. On arrival, after a long coast-to-coast journey, we drove straight to the old neighbourhood, wanting to get a feel for the scene, as much as possible 100 years later. We pulled up to what might have been their neighbour's home, which looked exactly as I imagined it should.
As we glided to a stop at the one and only street sign marking the tiny lane where they lived, we interrupted a drug deal in mid-exchange and waited awkwardly while the trade completed. This patch of dirt still hadn't shook the sketchy image it had years before.
As rough as the next few decades of recovery would be, it would have been much worse without the kind-hearted contributions of so many whose hearts were touched by this terrible tragedy.
Legacy often focuses on passing assets to the next generation, but many view it as being much more, enveloping beliefs, traditions and reputation. Structured giving may solidify your stamp on the world. Whether you have a strong commitment to philanthropy or you lean more towards something simpler, planning your charitable giving in advance will help assure that the areas you feel strongly about during your lifetime continue to receive support thereafter.
As with transferring wealth to heirs, it's beneficial to make your charitable intentions known among family members in advance, to publicly crystallize what you might hope will become enduring family values. Doing so will help to provide clarity around the decisions you're making, and may also create a shared sense of purpose in giving back within your family. This can be a catalyst for embedding those values through multiple generations to further your enduring statement of what really matters.
While recent statistics are limited, data suggests that only approximately four to seven per cent of Canadians include a charitable gift in their will. But some are sitting on more than they or their children will ever need.
Our firm (and presumably others) has developed a charitable gift program enabling individuals and families to make ongoing contributions to a charitable gift fund managed by Gift Funds Canada.
The program provides the opportunity to express and strengthen charitable values during one's lifetime and then preserve them for generations to come. Multiple generations can get involved in the process and collectively discuss how to direct the contributions each year, and unlike a one-time major gift to a charity, this type of giving can live on for years and potentially indefinitely. The program allows donors to provide annual giving to one charity or spread out grants to many charities over time.
Most of us wish to pass along our values and beliefs - in all aspects of life, charitable or otherwise - to future generations. For those who want to build or deepen philanthropy within their family, being proactive with education can go a long way in helping to preserve those types of values for generations to come.
A key message for your children is that they can help make a difference, whether it's within their school or community, or more broadly through national or global causes.
Depending on age, it may be worthwhile to start with a discussion about what charitable values are important to you and how you give, and then ask what causes they may be passionate about.
From there, help them research a project they would be interested in supporting.
Mark Ryan is an investment advisor with RBC Dominion Securities Inc. (Member -Canadian Investor Protection Fund), and these are his views, and not those of RBC Dominion Securities. This article is for information purposes only. Please consult with a professional advisor before taking any action based on information in this article. See Ryan's website at: http://dir.rbcinvestments.com/mark.ryan.
